The city of San Diego announced over the weekend that it had finalized the preferred redesign of the Ocean Beach Pier and will hold a community workshop in the coming weeks to give the public a peek at it.
"During this workshop, the city of San Diego and its consultants will share updates to amenities and features of the preferred pier design concept released in April, based on public input received since its original release," the city said in a news release.
The workshop, the fifth in the series on the pier, is scheduled for Oct. 26 from 12-3 p.m. at the Liberty Station Conference Center at 2600 Laring Road. It's expected that officials will offer a short presentation at 12:15, as well as interactive stations and a video display. There will also be some sort of way to provide public comments on the design's elements, officials said.
Why is the OB Pier being replaced?
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The city confirmed in August that it was no longer working toward repairing the pier and instead was looking at replacement options.
Signs had pointed to the decision for months, although no final call had been made up until that point. In January, the city posted a notice on the pier hinting at the possibility of demolition. And design concepts were shown to community members in April showing the proposed replacement pier.
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Even as far back as 2018, the outcome seemed inevitable. A study released that year determined the pier was beyond its useful life and recommended the city pursue a replacement.
In the report released in August, the city confirmed repairing the damaged Ocean Beach Pier was no longer feasible. The 58-year-old pier has been closed since it was damaged by high surf in October 2023. Further damage occurred last December when a pylon broke off and fell into the ocean.
"Engineering teams have determined that any work to rehabilitate the pier is not feasible, especially given the likelihood of additional damage occurring during future winter storms," officials said in a statement.
The safest and most cost-effective option for the Ocean Beach Pier is to keep the structure closed to public access while the city moves forward with a long-term solution to replace the pier, the city said.
"The Ocean Beach Pier is an iconic landmark of San Diego, but it was built nearly six decades ago and no longer can withstand the impacts of rising sea levels and storm surge along our coast," Assistant Director of the Engineering and Capital Projects Department Elif Cetin was quoted as saying in August.. "The decision on how to proceed factors in the likelihood that future storms will cause additional damage to the pier in coming years and whether it makes sense to pour resources into a structure that will continue to need extensive repairs or to instead invest in the long-term pier-replacement project."
At the time of the 2018 study, minimal repairs would have cost about $8 million, and rehabilitation would have cost about $30 million to $50 million. Since that 2018 study was conducted, the pier damage and construction repair costs have significantly increased, further bolstering the case for replacement, according to the city.
While the pier does not pose an immediate threat to public safety, additional signs have been posted reminding visitors to be cautious when visiting the area, the city report said.
The San Diego Municipal Code states it is against the law for anyone to swim, wade, surf or skin dive within 75 feet of any fishing pier owned or operated by the city.
